Henry Okah Loses Bid To Challenge Conviction In South Africa

Henry Okah, a presumed militant leader accused of masterminding two deadly bombings at Nigeria's 50th independence celebrations two years ago, sits at Johannesburg courthouse on October 2, 2012, on the second day of his trial. Okah, the ex-leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which claimed responsibility for the twin car bombings, was arrested at his home in Johannesburg on October 2, 2010 the day after the blasts killed 12 people. Okah has denied involvement in the attacks, which were claimed by MEND militants, and also denies being the leader of the group which is fighting for a greater share of the Delta region's oil wealth. | GettyImages

Henry Okah, the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, has lost his bid to challenge his conviction in South Africa for two separate bombing incidents that occurred in Warri and Abuja in 2010.

In November 2017, Okah challenged the trial and conviction at the South African Constitutional Court, in a last-ditch attempt to walk away as a free man.

According to him, it was not fair, based on the dictates of the South African Criminal Procedures Act.

But in a unanimous judgment on the two cases on Thursday, February 22, 2018, Edwin Cameron, a justice of the court, ruled that the trial under the Anti-terrorism Act of South Africa was in line with the country’s international obligations.

Okah was convicted and sentenced to 24 years in 2013 on 13 counts of terrorism, including engaging in terrorist activities, conspiracy to engage in terrorist activities, and delivering, placing, and detonating an explosive device in 2010.